The Flag and Patriotism is non-negotiable issue for me and I wanted to hear what my college kids thought about the current pulse in America today at lunch. All this NFL stuff is nothing more than a embarrassing display of some serious gross uneducated players and fellow Americans who stand with them. I wanted to make sure all my kids understand HISTORY and who the Sons of Maryland were. This table conversation is going to be a lecture!

The one banner that unites all of America is our beloved flag and sadly it has been disrespected & used to divide our country. Many of us are reaching out to grasp hold of our flag as the only banner that connects us and has the power to heal our country. On the anniversary of 9/11 many of us wonder why Pro players like Kaepernick, Rapinoe, Marshall and now U.S. Navy soldiers can be so confused and ignorant that they would protest an historic symbol of courage and bravery.

To signal out the flag and "take a knee" as a weapon of protest is tragic. Such behavior is caused from lack of wisdom or intellectually they have no idea who Francis Scott Key was or what moved him to write the Star Spangled Banner, the one song we sing together as Americans.

Francis Scott Key sure had a Protest Momenton the eve of September 13, as he was held prisoner on a British fleet and forced to watch his beloved country bombed as rockets pounded and lit up the sky of Baltimore in the War of 1812.

In the War of 1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain. Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, and its brave men withstood more than 25 HOURS of bombardment by the British Navy.

​The sight of this bombardment and prolonged attack of Baltimore was more than Francis Scott Key or (any of us) could mentally or physically stand & watch. He prayed those brave men in the Fort could hold out. It was in that moment he took out an envelope and began to jot down a few lines describing the pain of what he was witnessing.

America was a land of brave and free people, and the flag symbolized that freedom, that courage. The words came quickly as his journal records. Francis Scott Key wrote that his head pounded with the sound of exploding shots and shells and it was the courage and bravery of the men holding on under intense fire that provided the inspiration of his poem. Maryland had called upon its sons to defend our flag and our nation.

From the pages of his journals history records........"I CAN SEE IT!" "I CAN SEE IT!" "The flag - our flag - it's still there!" Are you sure its OUR flag, Francis? asked Colonel Skinner. "YES, YES!" "IT'S OURS! "IT'S OUR BELOVED RED, WHITE AND BLUE!" "Thank God it is such a huge Banner!" The British have given up. We Won! "WE WON!" Within hours Francis Scott Key was headed for the wharf in the Baltimore harbor!

The Star Spangled Banner is a Poem of Celebration, of Glory and Hope, said Francis Scott Key.​His journals record "I stood praying while straining to see if the flag was still flying over the Fort for if it fell that meant the Fort had surrendered and the city would no longer be FREE."

What American wouldn't stand for our national anthem and stand with every man and woman who held down "Forts" under enemy fire for the Hope & Glory of America? The smoke will clear in our country as it always has because we "intelligently" work out our differences. For this is the secret that made America Great. May we ALWAYS see the red, white and blue banner flying! May it NEVER fall into the hands of the enemy.

As for me and my house, we will Stand With Old Glory and with great pride we will always sing The Star Spangle Banner with gratitude and thanksgiving.

May God Bless America! I'll strain to see you when the smoke clears.....and may our flag still be flying!

Dr. Carly

"Around The Table"

As a mother of 6, I find it interesting to hear opinions on cultural issues, spirituality, politics, religion, & healthcare from THE generation raised on social media! This blog is topics I discussed at my kitchen table.